A Political and Diplomatic Studies professor at the Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Prof. John Ayoade has explained that the incumbency factor could not prevent former President, Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from losing the 2015 elections because of personal attitude and bad publicity from allies.
The Academic made this assertion yesterday while delivering a lecture titled: “Jonathan’s 2015 Presidential Campaign: A Critical Analysis,” at a seminar organized by the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, moderated by Professor Alaba Ogunsanwo of the Department of Politics and International Relations, Lead City University.
While observing that Jonathan failed to build on his 2011 electoral success as he muddled the issue of zoning, he accused the PDP of being guilty of leadership mistrust as the party appointed four national chairmen within the four-year term.
Ayoade asserted that the PDP was not a party of conviction but rather of convenience, adding that it allowed its members to threaten the then opposition rather than persuading them.
Stressing that, “every pronouncement of an incumbent is visible and counts,” the lecturer maintained that Jonathan’s gaffe about declaration of assets and distinction between stealing and corruption were uncharitable.
According to him, “Jonathan came poorly in response to impromptu expressions, but better in prepared speech. On asset declaration, he said: ‘I don’t give a damp about it’, and on corruption and stealing, he said ‘Stealing is not corruption.’ His surrogates during campaigns also messed up his election chances. Negative campaigns popularised General Muhammadu Buhari. Most of his surrogates told lies that were not noble and beneficial.”
Ayoade continued that the power of incumbency would have been beneficial if Jonathan had realized that, “elections have become complex and technical; the electorate is becoming wiser; money spent on common goods is more electorally rewarding than money given to the movers and shakers of society.”
